Pat Simmons
Patrick Robert Simmons (Born June 8th, 1972) is an American Professional Wrestler, Mixed Martial Artist, and retired Navy Seal. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, FOREVER Pro Champion, and is regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters of all time. He is currently signed to the GWA under the Royal League Wrestling brand where he competes in their Super Heavyweight division. He is known for ending George Patterson's three year reign with the FOREVER Pro Championship. Background Pat Simmons was raised by both parents in a small house in Gering, Nebraska where he attended Gering High School before graduating in 1990. It was here where Simmons began to use his physical stature to excel in Amateur Wrestling. Standing at 6'8 at the age of 14, Pat towered over his opponents and lead Gering to a state championship in 1988. Upon his graduation Simmons enlisted in the United States Navy where he eventually became a Navy Seal, fighting alongside future GWA competitors Bart Scott and Scott Reeves. In 1995 he was honorably discharged from the Navy to begin his mixed martial arts career. Mixed Martial Arts Career Ultimate Fighting Championship (1996-1998) Unlike many of his contemporaries, Simmons never competed in College level Amateur Wrestling. Pat's skill in combat can be traced to his training in the Military, this is why his style has a tendency to injure opponents rather than just win matches. In the 1990's the Ultimate Fighting Championship was much different than the organized sport it would become. There were no time limits, weight classes, or general rules and events were promoted as borderline deathmatches. In January 1998 Randy Couture was stripped of the UFC Heavyweight Championship after contract disputes, and it was through this that Simmons was able to capture the championship in his first bout with "Stonewall" Arthur Wright, defeating Wright via KO in the second round with a German Suplex. Simmons would hold the title until August when he refused to fight "Cannonball" Dan Wallace, citing a back injury and the birth of his daughter Chelsea as his reasoning. The UFC responded by stripping Simmons of the championship, which would be won by Wallace on September 3rd, 1998. Simmons would not return to the UFC for a decade. PRIDE Fighting Championship (2000) After spending 1998 and 1999 competing for various wrestling promotions, Simmons was offered the opportunity to fight in Japan for PRIDE Fighting Championship, a more spectacular fight promotion with flashier production than that of the UFC. The ruleset of PRIDE was also different, each fight began with a ten minute first round, with the remaining two rounds being five minutes each. Stomps and knees to grounded opponents were also legal in PRIDE, unlike the UFC. However you could not throw elbows, as is custom in most eastern promotions. Simmons would fight in April of 2000 against Tomoaki Nagawa, defeating Nagawa by submission in the first round with a Guillotine Choke. Simmons never returned to PRIDE for another bout, choosing to focus on his pro wrestling career instead. UFC Return (2008-2009) After more than a decade away, UFC fans were treated to a surprise as Pat Simmons appeared alongside his friend Randy Couture during press conferences leading up to his UFC 91 bout with Brock Lesnar on November 15th, 2008. Couture would lose to Lesnar in the 2nd round via TKO due to punches. During the aftermath Simmons was questioned by reporters about his MMA career. He was quick to remind them that he never officially retired from anything. Stating; "I feel just as good now as I did at 25. I'm smarter now and my style has evolved from years of Pro Wrestling. If the money and the matchup are right I'm open to the discussion." The money and the matchup fell in place for UFC 101: Penn V. Florian as Simmons was booked to fight Charles Green. He defeated Green in expert fashion, finishing the 23 year old in under a minute via submission with a Kimura. The win was so emphatic, that he was able to fight again just weeks later at UFC 102 defeating Mick Galloway in just over two minutes via TKO due to punches. Simmons would draw the attention of UFC Heavyweight Junior Dos Santos who was scheduled to face Kickboxing legend Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 103. In a press conference leading up to the event Dos Santos called Simmons "Delusional" when asked how his pro wrestling skill could aid in the fight game. Simmons was once again booked for UFC 105 on November 14th, 2009 in Manchester, England to take on young Brazilian knockout artist Marc Cruz. Cruz would take Simmons to the only decision of his professional career, losing the bout to Simmons by unanimous decision. In December of 2009 Simmons and the UFC became engaged in a heated legal battle with Simmons' other employer FOREVER Pro. Simmons' contract with FOREVER Pro was still active for another seven months and the Japanese promotion was not happy with the current situation. THQ had released UFC Undisputed 2009 earlier that year and had begun developing a sequel shortly after. Set to release in the summer of the next year, UFC Undisputed 2010 was to feature Pat Simmons as a Heavyweight fighter in game. Trailers and screenshots from pre-release gameplay showed Simmons in the game, and some Best Buy outlets had even scheduled contests where fans could win gift cards for growing the best mustache. Katsuhiro Yamada, the owner of FOREVER Pro was livid, as FOREVER had an exclusive deal with Bandai Namco to develop a game of their own. Super FOREVER Pro Wrestling was scheduled to release in February of 2010 and had already been completed by the time of Simmons November 2009 bout with Marc Cruz. Rather than spend the money and effort required to secure the rights to Simmons likeness and risk damaging their relationship with THQ, the UFC and it's parent company Zuffa settled out of court with FOREVER Pro and did not resign Simmons' contract following the Cruz fight. Simmons would never fight for the promotion again and has spent the years since his departure slandering UFC President Dana White for his handling of the whole situation. Stating in a 2013 Gamespot interview; "...That motherfucker (White) just lied to me about it. I didn't really understand what was going on to begin with. They asked if I'd be in the game and I said sure. Took a flight out to the place (THQ) and did some shit. They put me in it. It was cool. I didn't even know about the FOREVER thing. I don't remember signing anything or telling anyone they could put me in fuckin anything, but they did anyways. Damn contract had them owning my face and shit in a way that they didn't even have to ask my permission for that shit. So I just ended up fucked on all ends. I just wanted to fight, I could give a damn about some video game bullshit." On November 4th, 2017 UFC President Dana White confirmed via Twitter that Simmons will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. Professional Wrestling Career (1998 - Present) FOREVER Pro Wrestling (1998-2010) Debut and Initial Title Run Upon his exit from the UFC, Simmons was approached by FOREVER Pro Founder/Owner and longtime professional wrestler Katsuhiro Yamada. Yamada was an avid fight fan, as he himself held a Black Belt in Judo, and was drawn to Pat's enormous stature and physical strength. Simmons has credited Katsuhiro as the inspiration for his signature mustache, saying in a 2009 interview with Sports Illustrated; "...He just thought it was cool. 'Real Magnum PI shit' he used to say. They always talk about how Japs are so uptight and business-ey but not him (Yamada). He drank American beer, watched American football, and apparently 1980's American television." Yamada had been defeated for his own promotion's championship just two and a half years earlier by a young American grappler, George "The Stretcher" Patterson. Patterson had rose to worldwide prominence after shattering the Guiness World Record for the heaviest squat (male), lifting 1015lbs not once, but twice to prove his strength. This record still stands today. Simmons, in Yamada's eyes, was the perfect weapon to defeat "The Stretcher". Simmons stands seven feet tall, four more inches than Patterson who is 6'8. He also weighed less than Patterson which, Yamada believed, would give Simmons a speed advantage against the slower Patterson. On December 2nd, 1999 Simmons defeated Patterson after more than forty-four minutes via submission with a legbar. Patterson fought the urge to tap for over a minute before the hold was separated, he has since regretted this decision and he cites this as the cause of his lifelong ankle problems. Simmons would reign supreme as the FOREVER Champion for a little over a year until a familiar challenge presented itself. Upon losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Bas Rutten in 1999, Cannonball Wallace began his pro wrestling career in his home country of England. He quickly began making headlines worldwide for his speed combined with his freakish size, standing 6'11 and weighing upwards of 400 pounds. Wallace was able to dazzle audiences and opponents alike world wide with his quick footwork and aerial moveset. Simmons could not reject the challenge twice, his pride would not allow it, and on March 10th, 2001 the two would meet in Korakuen Hall for the FOREVER Pro Championship. Unfortunately for Simmons, he would be defeated via KO due to a right straight very early in the match, which clocked in at 7:10. It was this defeat that allowed Simmons the chance to pursue other opponents inside FOREVER Pro and he began teaming alongside fellow Navy Seal Scott Reeves, calling themselves "The Crew". In 2002 Bart Scott joined them upon his Boxing retirement, and the trio would have moderate success amongst the burgeoning team scene. They even fought for the FOREVER Tag Team Championship in the fall of that year, though they were ultimately unsuccessful. Second Championship Run It would be another three years before Simmons would earn another shot at the FOREVER Pro Championship. The title had changed hands several times since Cannonball Wallace had secured it in 2001. In Winter 2004 Simmons would see the Championship opportunity present itself once more as Stonewall Wright, who Simmons had defeated previously in the UFC, captured the title from Sho Kazaka. Simmons began mocking Wright in various publications, on the mic in the ring, and wherever else his voice could be heard. He claimed that Wright was afraid to face him and that the only reason Wright held the title was because Simmons was not his opponent. After months of berating Wright became fed up and demanded Katsuhiro Yamada book the two of them in a match. Yamada, feeling that Simmons had not earned another title shot, decided that the best way to settle this dispute would be to have Simmons face another fighter to earn his shot. Enter Bruce Morgan, a Wyoming native known for his tight submission grappling and bruiser style. Simmons and Morgan would go to an hour time-limit draw on May 3rd, 2005 before facing again on June 11th where Simmons would be victorious via pinfall due to a Pop Up Powerbomb, the first time the move had ever been used. The victory shook the wrestling world, as the image of Simmons tossing the 340+ pound Morgan into the air and slamming him back to the mat was a chilling representation of Simmons' strength. But Wright would not be deterred, and the two would face on September 9th for the second time. Wright would again be unsuccessful, though he survived the contest without suffering another knockout. Losing via pinfall due to a Pop Up Powerbomb in just over six minutes. Dave Meltzer of the "Wrestling Observer" spoke about the match; "...and it would be unfair to classify Wright as a second level wrestler. He's just not. He's top notch in every measurable way. Pat's just better, you can see it when they're fighting. He's a step ahead of him, he's unemotional where Stonewall is visibly shook. I don't know who's gonna beat this guy unless you bring Cannonball back over again." Back Injury/Vacating The Title Simmons would not fight again in 2005, choosing instead to take the winter off to rest his body and take his family on vacation. This was the first long term break Simmons would have in his career and he would not take another for more than a decade. Some analysts have pointed to Simmons inhuman training/fight schedule in this era as the reason for his modern decline. While on his break Simmons began training with Duncan Rorrick at his wrestling school in Scotland. Simmons has since credited Rorrick for his use of the Gorilla Press. Rorrick taught Simmons the maneuver because it was a much better fit to the seven footer than the 6'5 Rorrick. The move, which required the fighter to lift his opponent high above his head with both arms to his maximum reach before dropping them back to the mat, is very difficult to pull of without injury. Most wrestlers in this era were 200+ pounds, which is not an easy lift even for Simmons. It was during training where Simmons would injure himself attempting this move on a 400+ pound student of Rorrick's. The prognosis for Simmons' injury was not good, he was set to be off the shelf for more than a year. Knowing that he could not compete, Simmons vacated the title so as to avoid having it stripped from him. Third Title Win Pat Simmons had become a worldwide name by his return to the ring in 2006. His return was highly publicized and the show drew 42,000 fans to the Tokyo Dome on July 10th, 2006, two days after Simmons' 34th birthday. He would face Carl Horne, defeating Horne with via submission due to Rear Naked Choke just 3:50 into their contest. Simmons would submit twelve other fighters between July 2006 and October 2007 to earn yet another shot at the FOREVER Pro Championship, which had again fallen into the hands of his longtime rival Stonewall Wright. The two would meet again on October 28th where Simmons would be victorious for the third and final time over Wright, injuring Wright's neck with a German Suplex. This effectively ended Wright's career, though he would return from retirement in 2016 as a special entry in the GWA Draft. Simmons held the title for two months before losing it in January. This would be his last run with the championship, as the following decade would see Simmons fighting out his FOREVER Pro contract, returning to America as a freelancer in 2010. Simmons spent the next seven years in relative obscurity wrestling for smaller promotions across the US. He has since said this change in direction was correlated to the loss of his Wife Leeanne to Pancreatic Cancer on February 5th, 2013. His daughter Chelsea was entering her teenage years and Pat chose to take bookings closer to home so he could be more active in her life. This is when he moved his family to Topanga, California. Though others have pointed to the 2009-2010 lawsuit between the UFC's parent company Zuffa and FOREVER Pro over the UFC Undisputed 2010 ''video game as a possible explanation for his departure from the promotion. Simmons has later lamented the terms on which he exited FOREVER Pro and in a 2015 interview with ''BloodyElbow.com he claimed he had not spoken to Katsuhiro Yamada for "...A long fucking time..." prior to his death earlier that year. This is why his relationship with the Yamada family remains so strained and some see this as the reason he has not returned to Japan since his departure from FOREVER in 2010. Global Wrestling Alliance (2017 - Present) Royal League Wrestling (1st Draft) by 2016 the professional wrestling landscaped had changed drastically. Gone were the WWE and WCW, and in their place was a mess of independent promotions battling for territory, simultaneously putting each other out of business by dividing the fan base. It was from this chaotic landscape that the Global Wrestling Alliance was formed. The FOREVER Pro empire had been inherited by Hirai Yamada, the oldest child of Katushiro who had focused his life on business rather than combat. Hirai's outlook is much more progressive than that of his father, who had held a grudge against the Yamagata Family for more than thirty years. Some sources close to the family have even claimed that he cursed their name from his deathbed. Sara Yamagata, the daughter of Japanese Wrestling legend Ayikashi Yamagata, had used her family's money to found Royal League Wrestling, an American based promotion which focused more on entertainment than sport. She fostered good relationships with promoters and wrestlers in Mexico, Canada, and the UK, eventually presenting her idea for the GWA in late 2015. By the summer of 2016 she had enough support to move forward with her venture and the GWA was founded. By the Fall of 2017 the GWA had become so profitable Yamagata began expanding into new territory, providing the startup money for World Prestige Wrestling, a tournament style promotion based in Canada. Yamagata also used this newfound success to propose a buyout of all FOREVER Pro assets. Hirai Yamada, being so forward thinking, was much more receptive to Yamagata's offer than his father would have been, and he agreed to sell under the condition that he be allowed to stay on as General Manager of the brand. Yamagata agreed and in October 2017 the GWA held their initial draft with five major brands vying for the top fighters of the world. Pat Simmons was the first round draft pick for New Breed Wrestling in the UK, only to be traded post-draft for Canadian Super Heavyweight Cyrus. This move positioned Simmons as one of the star attractions in Royal League Wrestling and he would make his official debut in the main event of RLW #29 on October 9th in Alberta, Canada, defeating Canadian native Barry Winston in an MMA Fight via KO with the Gorilla Press. On Royal League Live #30 from Portland, Oregon on October 16th, Simmons would face James Keith Benton, a Queens, New York native known for brawling, in the co main event. It was in this contest that Simmons would suffer the first submission loss of his career, tapping out to JKB's "Meat Hook" submission maneuver in just over six minutes. The outcome of the match sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Fighters, fans, and media alike took to social media to express the surprise felt when the match ended. #PatTapped trended worldwide for days following the show and Simmons stayed quiet through it all. Going into RLW #33 in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 2nd many expected Simmons to exact revenge on James Keith Benton. The two were booked alongside South African Kickboxer Arthur Odendaal in an unorthodox, three-way, elimination MMA fight to determine a #1 contender for Royal League Wrestling Crown Holder, and former UFC Heavyweight, "Menacing" Mark Holtz. Simmons would be unsuccessful, falling once again to the "Meat Hook" submission in almost identical time. Odendaal would eliminate JKB minutes later via KO due to a head kick, but the heavy weight of this loss can not be understated. Personal Life Simmons currenly lives in Topanga, California, United States with his daughter Chelsea and his current wife Sandra. He has stated in several interviews that he is an outdoorsman who spends most of his off time hunting and fishing. This has been cited as one of his major reasons for moving his family to California after the death of his first wife Leeanne. Simmons can play the guitar and has pointed to Bob Seger and Jimmy Page as musical inspirations. Simmons is a known Atheist, though he does not talk about this publicly. His daughter Chelsea is a Christian like her Mother before her, and according to a 2008 "Muscle & Fitness" interview with Simmon's close friend and fellow Navy Seal Scott Reeves; "He (Pat) just doesn't want to be known for that kind of shit. He's a fighter, he's a Seal, he's a father. I think that's all he really wants to be known as." Simmons is a self-described "functioning alcoholic" stating in a 2016 appearance on The MMA Hour; "I don't think of it as a problem. It's just a thing I do. I don't get sick or angry without it. I'm not dying or stealing shit for it. I don't see the big deal with me and the boys crackin' some drinks after the matches. Even if the tab can hit triple digits on some nights." Simmons is a Seinfeld fanatic and has met Jerry Seinfeld on several occasions, leading to him being referenced in some of Seinfeld's jokes. Seinfeld usually refers to him affectionately as "Big 'Stache". Simmons is friends with Action Actor Jason Statham and has appeared in cameo roles in two of his films. Simmons is not a fan of acting, but played the roles as a favor to his friend. Simmons is a Republican, though he is not a fan of President Donald Trump. This has resulted in the end of his sporadic Fox News appearances, which began in 2011 and ended in 2016. He also made several appearances on CNN, MSNBC and other networks during the 2012 election season. Simmons does not have a Twitter, does not own a smartphone and has never used Facebook. This is referenced in many of his interviews. Other Media The punk band Cut Nipple' recorded a song called "Stache Bomb" on their 2007 album "Feed the Beast". Simmons can be seen in the background of three episodes of Family Guy. Fans of the video game "SMITE" have alleged the "Mustachio" skin for the playable Zeus character is based off Pat Simmons. The creators of the game have since confirmed this to be true via Twitter. Simmons was meant to be playable in the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game but was removed due to legal issues. Though he can be accessed through hacking the game files. Simmons is referenced in the Season 9 episode of ''The Big Bang Theory titled "The Application Deterioration" in which the character Raj refers to a larger man as "Some Pat Simmons looking guy." Simmons is a playable character in the 2016 video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered" in which you can earn a Pat Simmons skin through in game supply drops. Fans have speculated that Pat Simmons will be available for use in EA Sports UFC 3 due to EA Sports close relationship with the GWA. This was confirmed via message board by developers who said that Simmons will be, "Added in a patch after launch. He needs more work." '''Filmography Films Television Video Games In Wrestling Finishing Maneuvers * Pop Up Powerbomb (toss up/catching powerbomb) - 2005 - Present * Chickenwing Rear Naked Choke - 2017 - Present Signature Moves * Gorilla Press (lifting above the head backwards toss) - 2005 - Present * Alley-Oop Facebuster (reverse powerbomb backwards toss) - 2003 - Present Entrance Themes * "God of Thunder" by KISS Professional Wrestling Record (GWA) Mixed Martial Arts Record (GWA) Championships & Accomplishments Professional Wrestling * FOREVER Pro Champion (3 Times) Mixed Martial Arts * UFC Heavyweight Champion Category:Fighters